Maltese companies have until the end of this month to register with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority as producers of waste packaging.

Companies trading in consumer goods such as food items, beverages, clothes, toiletries, stationery, detergents, paints, electrical goods and pharmaceuticals fall under the definition of packaging waste producers.

Following this registration process, Mepa will publish the list of the registered companies, including the quantity of packaging they claim to have put on the market last year.

Apart from declaring that they are producers of packaging waste, companies need to accompany this statement with a precise breakdown of packaging placed on the market last year.

Once the packaging volumes are established, the regulations further require that companies give details on how the discarded packaging was recovered and recycled.

In practice, individual companies find it difficult to recover the packaging they generate. Instead many are opting to form part of the GreenPak Mepa authorised Compliance Scheme.

When companies join GreenPak, the individual company's obligations are transferred onto the scheme and GreenPak recovers packaging waste on their behalf.

"Many companies are now realising the importance of forming part of the GreenPak scheme", said Denise Vassallo, a spokesman for GreenPak.

"The confidential information of individual companies is protected as GreenPak discloses global figures to Mepa.

"Additionally, the GreenPak scheme provides a practical solution for recovering packaging."

GreenPak is part of the European wide Green Dot organisation that is responsible for diverting millions of tonnes of consumer packaging away from landfills and towards recycling.

Companies that are yet to register can obtain the necessary forms from the GreenPak website www.greendot.com.mt.